MCN 2024

Often tactile expression is bound by the materials that are available to the person interested in expressing themselves. There is nearly always a limit to the available space, size, colors, or dialogue between the artist and the medium they are working with. Therefore, one’s imagination is tied to the scope of the physical variables that they must work within, informing their art and growth. Within the new realm of digital art-making materials and expressions, there can be a greater amplification of size, space, and resources made available to the aspiring artist, or more importantly, the non-artist who has yet to find the fire of imagination inside of them. These digital canvases can be multifaceted, mutable, alive, and lend themselves more wholly to the fostering of unbound imagination, inspiring all people to express themselves as creative humans. The Dream Studio digital painting installation at the Denver Art Museum is an example of limitless expression, allowing artists and non-artists alike to find self-expression in scale and format in which they have possibly never experienced. Three different 3D projection mapped stations allow the user to paint on an iPad, unleashing the imagination to challenge itself on new canvases, on a scale that most people do not get to experience. The digital format allows itself for varied non-traditional painting techniques and opportunities that offer new horizons for individualized expression. Not only is this type of live digital painting ground-breaking, but the ease of use is elegant, accessible, and approachable for all museum visitors. Designing the installation to be accessible reinforces the values of our institution of inclusivity and creativity. This example is merely a curated taste of the limitless nature of digital painting and the possibilities therein.